tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6885340672616713863.post6679716787712416872..comments2023-09-25T04:08:57.897-04:00Comments on American Counterpoint: Why Democrats Lose: Reply to MarkKeith Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18115490864347645607noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6885340672616713863.post-76626587755144468032017-01-05T16:58:56.664-05:002017-01-05T16:58:56.664-05:00A thoughtful rebuttal, but I would offer a couple ...A thoughtful rebuttal, but I would offer a couple of counterpoints:<br /><br />1) The observation about any factor, even a small one, being enough to make the difference in a close election is I think the same one I made in my 11/24 posting. It's the "my kingdom for a horse" idea, and it's true enough as far as it goes but sidesteps the fundamental issue, which is that litanies of small excuses are largely beside the point at a time when a political earthquake has just occurred calling for a deeper soul-searching.<br /><br />2) While I agree that the number of government employees as a percent of total population is a useful data-point, I think it seriously underestimates the extent to which government has come to dominate the private economy.<br /><br />3)I see scant reason to believe that any form of regulation adapts effectively as it grows more powerful. I'm not sure this issue can be determined one way or the other with data, but I've had personal exposure to regulation in the fields of medicine and finance. In both cases, I've observed that rules tend to grow ever-more complex and in such a way as to start interfering with the core discipline while gradually losing sight of the regulation's original purpose. I've heard enough anecdotal from other fields to believe that this pattern is the rule more than the exception.<br /><br />Mark Bachmannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16864483782023806885noreply@blogger.com